Cutting Tool Manufacturer Helps Growing Shop Improve Efficiency

While nearly always desirable, growth can bring its own set of
challenges. A case in point is Tri-K Machining, a shop that is
seemingly on the fast track to success. Business has increased by more
than 300 percent during the past 12 months. However, management soon
realized that keeping up with this added work

Case Study
From:
7/27/2008
Modern Machine Shop

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Walter’s inserts feature the company’s custom “Tiger Tec” aluminum oxide coating, which is said to prolong tool life at high feed rates.

Helical gear blanks like the one shown here are used for heavy industrial applications.

The shop now uses WPP10-grade inserts to rough turn helical gear blanks. These inserts last longer than the shop’s previous tooling and enable significantly faster feeds and cycle times.

While nearly always desirable, growth can bring its own set of
challenges. A case in point is Tri-K Machining, a shop that is
seemingly on the fast track to success. Business has increased by more
than 300 percent during the past 12 months. However, management soon
realized that keeping up with this added work would require improved
output and reduced costs.

Searching for a way to increase efficiency, plant manager Ernie
Smith pinpointed cutting tools as one specific area that needed
improvement. Equipped with an aluminum oxide coating designed to
prolong tool life, Walter USA’s
turning inserts, milling cutters and drills performed admirably in a
series of tests and were soon incorporated into the shop. Since then,
reductions in tool costs and cycle times have enabled the company to
cope with its increased workload.

Walter’s technical
support capabilities also played a role in the shop’s decision. “We
needed partners who can educate us about technology that is changing
practically every day,” says company President Gary Caulk.
“Understanding overall tool management systems only added to their
credibility.”

Specializing in rough and finish turning,
milling, drilling and boring, Tri-K manufactures machine components for
the agricultural, automotive and commercial tool markets. When Mr.
Caulk bought the company in 1999, it had a 10,000-square-foot facility,
four employees and three machines. Since then, the shop has grown to
include 40,000 square feet of floor space, 53 employees and 18
machines.

Mr. Caulk says the shop’s rapid growth is a result of finding a niche
in small-quantity part orders. While large-quantity orders are often
shipped overseas, he explains, smaller orders often remain in the
United States. Filling the gap left by companies pursuing large orders
allows Tri-K to save on shipping costs, control part quality and offer
timely delivery. “It just makes more sense to do that work here in our
country,” he adds.

The shop tested cutting tools from three separate suppliers before
settling on Walter. In one test, a Mazak Dual Turn 20 machine was
fitted with Walter’s WPP10 insert grade. Processes included rough
turning the face as well as rough and finish turning the OD of a
helical gear blank in 8620 steel. According to the manufacturer, a key
feature of the insert is its aluminum oxide “Tiger-Tec” coating, which
is designed to provide long tool life at high surface footages.

Compared with the tool the shop had previously used for this
application, the results were “phenomenal,” Mr. Smith says. In addition
to a 45-percent reduction in cycle time, the shop realized a 25-percent
increase in feed rate, and cutting speed increased from 750 to 1,050
surface feet per minute. Chip control improved, and tool life more than
doubled. Machine cost per workpiece decreased from $1.44 to 81 cents,
and overall machine cost savings for yearly production of 5,000 pieces
amounted to $3,140. Total cost savings for the application amounted to
$3,247.

Mr. Caulk says the inserts helped Tri-K achieve
its two primary objectives: freeing up machine time to cope with the
constantly increasing workload and lowering tool-change costs. In fact,
after integrating the inserts, the company realized a 50-percent
decrease in actual change-outs per tool.

“We can
deliver the product 30 percent faster, and we can free up machine time
by 200 hours a week,” Mr. Caulk says. “When you are working like we
are, that can make an enormous difference in productivity.”

However,
Mr. Caulk emphasizes that Walter provides more than just cutting tools.
“We also needed a company that could educate our shop people about
using the right turning inserts, milling cutters and drills for each
application to increase efficiencies,” he says. “Walter has helped us
stay focused on keeping our machines running continually. They
understand tool management, and they can help educate our staff about
how to use the technology for optimum performance.”

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